ch-ch-ch-chaanges, part deux

05Dec06

So, continuing on from the first installment — I’m moving to America.

After a lot of thought, I’ve decided to relocate to Austin, Texas.
So far, four out of every five people I’ve told has responded with a knee-jerk: “Texas?? WHY?”
The fifth: “Austin?? COOOOL.”

…which proves… nothing, really. I mean, other than the sad fact that only twenty percent of my friends are aware of how amazing Austin is. If you happen to be part of that other eighty, please, feel free to verify and fact check. Eventually you will have to accept that when it comes to general lifestyle, live music, film festivals, good schools, interesting people, ‘vibe,’ and (relative) affordability . . . Austin’s got it all.

So sometime this coming spring (March? April? May?), I’m going to pack up my mountain range of possessions, ship it surface-mail to my uncles or aunt, and hop on a plane to someplace American-y. In this place, I will get a new driver’s license (old one’s expired), buy a sturdy-ass used car, and wander down to Austin to find an apartment, dropping in on unsuspecting friends along the way. Once I do find an apartment, if there ends up being some lag time involved before I can move in, I’ll do some more driving and seeing of people. The goal is to eventually stop in and see all y’alls in and around Boston/NewYork/LA/SF/Seattle/Chicago.

Then I’ll settle in to my new place, go into debt buying overpriced furniture and kitchen utensils I don’t even know how to use (happens Every. Time. I. Move.), and figure out my life. Possibly transfer my old Wesleyan credits to UT Austin and finally get that impossibly elusive… B.A. (And thereby stop bringing shame down onto my elders.)

I’d never even visited Austin until last summer, but I am officially happy with this plan; it’s pretty solid, financially and logistically (minus the whole furniture thing). Also, I’m really intrigued by the idea of trying to be on my own someplace – actually on my own, with no one around to lean on.

It will either be deeply liberating and wonderful, or trigger an all-systems meltdown of truly epic proportions. Either way, something will happen.

What more can you ask, really?

———–

UPDATE: Yeeeeah, no. Portland, Oregon. I am now moving to Portland, Oregon. Long story.

Filed under: milestones   |  Leave a Comment